River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-02-24
THE BASILISK.
A STORY OF TO-DAY.
CHAPTER XIII.
TRAPPED AND TRAPPED AGAIN.


senses l remembered going to Mr.
Beaufoy's study. the interview, and the
sudden fan into insensibility and dark.
ness. The chair to which MIR. Beaufoy
had, with marked persistence, invited
me. was a trap; doubtless he imagined
trap of death
| raised myself. at first with some
pain and difficulty. and endeayoured to
look aboutme. The darkness. however,
was too thick to allow of my getting
any idea Of the depth had fallen, or of
the nature of myprisOn. Iascertained,
however that | had fallen upon heap
Of loose mould. which seemed to have
recently been thrown up. and which
had certainly saved my bones. if not
my life, for all about | felt the hard sur
face of a concrete floor.
In my pocket was box Of wax
matches. remembered it with JOY,
and was on the point Of striking a
light to relieve the horror Of
the unknown darkness. when sud
denly the imprudence of such a course
occurred to me fOrciblv.
Whatever happened. or whatever
might be intended to happen. it was
certain that my fate would be further
enquired into, and In the desperate cir
cumstances in which was now placed.
i was not my cue to give any sign of
life, or 10 prepare my enemies for any
further opposition or resistance. /
carefully replaced the matchbox in nv
pocket deriving distinct comfort from
the sense Of power which the possession
Of the means Of securing a light con
ferred upon me. And 20 for awhile /
sat upon the heap of mould in the dark
ness.
After a while the inaction became in
supportable. and the darkness and
silence began To play fantastic tricks
with eve and ear. until AT length |
could no longer Withstand the craving
for light.
struck a match. ana in a moment
all imaginary terrors We're dispersed.
The clear flame Of the wax vesta dis
closed a spacious cellar or vault. with
well-bricked sides and concrete floor.
At one end was door. which l
examined. and found to be locked.
Over TIE spot where | had fallen
could dimly make out the machinery Of
the spring trap-door, through which /
had been so suddenly Precipitated into
captivity. The earth upon which l
had fallen was newlv-turned. In shape
and disposition it recalled the idea Of a
newly-filled grave.
1 started back with a feeling Of
superstitiOus terror This must be
Hardy's grave, And even at that mo-
ment a feeling Of reinsurance filled nv
spirit. II my surmise were correct.
this grave had saved me from injury.
/ should be spared Vet TO bring this
murderOus household to account But
meantime? How to act2 And what
We're u intentions Of NV enemies2
Again struck a light and carefully
examined the cellar-door Ii had little
in common with the heavy ill-hung
door. such as / had been accustomed
TO in my childhOod's home. whose
fastenings were a pOuderOuS rs they
were ineffective. This door seemed
massive and heavy enough. but it fitted
closely was polished and new in ap-
peaTance. and scarcely ratified at all in
answer to my emphatic. though guarded
attacks. | returned In a Respondent
frame To the spot where l had fallen,
and new horrors began to crowd in up
on my mind. Mary was now defence
less. and IL was even more so. Did
they mean 10 leave ME here To starve?
II was not impossible Or would the
stealthy assassin who had already, in
intention, slain income upon me,
enfeebled and Unarmcd. and consult
at once his malice and his security?
If he would only come SOOn-sOOn,
while my strength was uuimpaired,
soon. while NV spirit was unbroken.
Armed or unarmei, alone or with his
miScreant creatures at his back. l
would give a good account of Herr
Professor Plowitz before ne sent me 10
my own.
Hal Is it fancy? Is it the blood
surging and throbhing in my temples
that makes those >treakS of light visible
AFFAIR." No; It IS real light shining more
and more clearly in the darkness
through the crevices Of the door The
stiffness Is broken nv the sound of the
turning lock. anu ts | sink back upon
the heap of mould. figure appears at
the door. throwing the light Of the
lamp into the cellar. and shading his
face with his hand Who IS ite
-eq 10 s99UIl aJuOS luoql!M lou 'SsI19Id
.uEO -5W IL SUlYoOI spuglS OH
ipIo9 SUOI sSuuV UUIC sIq I0AO pug
'Ia55yp SUol 4 sIlI !! uodu IIaI duUI
sVl 10 SNBI 9Vl 81 uIE6g puU Mou SUI
-IsuuS 'PuuV SUI u! 5u!u!qs 5u!qlsmos
9as / uaVl puU 'l9T9Od STU olu! sNaE aVl
sduS al -gaUoIddu SIN V0lgM I spVsAs
pssoIa-IIEq IUU u9aMlsq laN 'PuU VIg9p
So IUS 81 auI -NoJuUaa IN :! ]! 'ou
.ZllMOId Iou = II -ICUa1 9ql olu: SAD
-UUApU 'I95uH SUI uo SU!I-A9Y 9V VlIM
'Pug 'T0oI oVl M A3Y aql SUM aq 'AlIuq
-UAOJUWl &W pIM 'AI5uIUIa5s 'pauSuEC
nevOlence. he stands with lamp IN one
hand. and dagger in the other, cOntem-
plating the man whose death he has al
ready eSsayed to compass, and which
he has now come 10 assure. Like the
picture of the scientific man in WV
isection." Mr. Beaufoy calmly and
thOughtfuily regarded me. ! kept
down a well as Icould the wild throb-
bling Of nv heart, represSed the impa-
tient promptings Of revenge. He was
satisfied ut length with an Inspection
that seemed to me interminable.
Not killed. he said softly. Tut,
tut. tut, Fancy our having dug Hardy's
grave 80 Immediately under the trap
doorl That was Plowitz's fault
Plowitz Is always wrong when he al
lows himself to be i'm a hurry Well,
nv poor designing friend, cut throat
will keep You as quiet as broken
neck.
So saving, he out the lamp down
upon the ground. A. he did 50, and
the shadows rapidly changed. l moved
quickly. TO be ready for a spring. And
in a moment, before he had time to re-
cover his upright position, l had
seized him. thrown him heavily to the
floor. and was kneeling upon his arms,
while the knife. which had dropped
from his hand at nv sudden assault
was now quiveriag az his throat IN
mine
Had been kneeling over his corpse
no change of complexion would have
been requisite His face was ashy